Apple introduces Santa Rosa-based MacBook Pros - Page 2

So now we've got the MacBooks, MacBook Pros all set, and iPhone set for later this month, so what will we see at WWDC: iMacs!!! Why would they go this long without an upgrade to the iMac if it was just going to be a boring incremental bump? They would've done that now as welll... no?

yeah, I'm thinking of getting a firewire 800 external and using that as a complimentary/backup. ram prices a joke as ever better to get crucial or someone like that. but crucial fix prices depending on where you've been surfing so...kingston? corsair?
prices of the machines have actually fallen though, compared to the last rev.

Hopefully it isn't really a 4-6 week delay for the 160-7200 drive on the 15". There is no delay if you configure that option on the 17". I'm wondering if the orders came in quick on the 15" and they raised the wait, or was it like that right when it was released?

I was thinking the same. Here in the UK it's a £300 difference inc VAT. The extra 40GB upgrade costs £50inc. If you're not running large dual monitors then there's little point in paying the extra £300.

I'm a little dissapointed that laptop hard disk sizes hasn't progressed as fast as it might this past year. 120GB isn't a lot these days. There's 200/250GB drives at Apple but they're 4200rpm. Hitachi/Tosh/Samsung have 5400rpm drives out now.

but i still abhor the placement of the hard drive. this is a pro laptop, make it so it is at minimum easy to change out like 99% of the others out there. One shouldn't have to remove .everything. just to change the HD.

Hear! Hear! (Or is it Here! Here!) And what's even more amazingly idiotic is that the cheaper consumer laptop you can just pop it right out. But Apple has always been more about design/look then usefulness.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gostan

In fact, I placed my order at for a 2.4 15 incher at 9:02 AM (edt) this morning with expedited shipping. It is expected to ship between June 6 -8 and to be delivered between June 8-13.

So now we've got the MacBooks, MacBook Pros all set, and iPhone set for later this month, so what will we see at WWDC: iMacs!!! Why would they go this long without an upgrade to the iMac if it was just going to be a boring incremental bump? They would've done that now as welll... no?

I imagine a new Leopard UI and Apple asking/helping developers to get cracking on coding for a lot of Core Animation/MultiTouch goodness.

Timing would be perfect, would it not?

Only problem would be that the new iMacs would be announced 3-4 months in advance (if they need Leopard for all the cool stuff). Apple would either have to launch Leopard early or give some sort of coupon for those who purchase the new iMac to get Leopard discounted later and let them use MultiTouch in Tiger (sparingly, I would imagine) in the meantime. I think this is why it was a tough call to delay Leopard - a WWDC launch of new iMacs and Leopard would have been perfect.

Crentist?! That sounds an awful lot like *dentist.*Maybe thats why he wanted to be a dentist!

I perhaps should have been more specific. It does help accelerate all of that. But it does not compltely off-load VC1 from the CPU. It only helps. It does, however, completely offload h264 from the CPU.

It's an awesome chip though. Bought a 8500 for my Vista MCE and it's doing a great job as video output with HDCP via a DVI -> HDMI adapter.

The MacBook Pro at 1" X 14.1" X 9.6" is just a little more than 12 cubic inches larger than the MacBook at 1.08" X 12.78" X 8.92"

Obviously, the MacBook would have the same issue as the Pro. And my suggestion that a quarter of an inch thicker (or and additional 34 cubic inches) may not be so out of line to suffice the necessary hardware to satisfy the required configuration.

cheeky f*ckers...they've wacked in two 1Gb Ram modules rather than one 2Gb module. so any upgrade to 4Gb will mean ditching those 1Gb's...great. bit of a waste huh.

It makes sense to me. Compare the price of 2 x 1GB (~US$70-80 total) vs 1 x 2GB (~US$110-120). US$40 may not seem like much, but it would be a decent percentage of their margin on the overall hardware package.

Besides, Apple, like most PC OEMs, has always gouged on RAM upgrades, milking insane margins from folks who don't shop around or are too lazy/nervous about installing RAM themselves.

Whats the concensus on the glossy screen? How can they have such a deep discount on it? It must not have LED? Isn't glossy supposedly better anyways (The apple store seems to say so)? Brighter colors, etc.??

Whats the concensus on the glossy screen? How can they have such a deep discount on it? It must not have LED? Isn't glossy supposedly better anyways (The apple store seems to say so)? Brighter colors, etc.??

Memory: Apple's memory is expensive. I want to max it out at 4 gigs so what memory do I get? What type of memory do I buy? Is it the same memory that the previous C2D mac used?

Hard Drive: I really want the 200 gig hard drive but performance is important to me. Is there a big speed decrease in the 200 gig hard drive since it's 4200 vs. 5400rpm? If so I'm staying with 160 gigs but my second question then is is there a big performance jump going up to the 160 gig 7200 rpm drive?

The MacBook Pro at 1" X 14.1" X 9.6" is just a little more than 12 cubic inches larger than the MacBook at 1.08" X 12.78" X 8.92"

Obviously, the MacBook would have the same issue as the Pro. And my suggestion that a quarter of an inch thicker (or and additional 34 cubic inches) may not be so out of line to suffice the necessary hardware to satisfy the required configuration.

The site's claim that the MBP is 1" thick is probably a round-down, just like the previous revisions. The 17" and 15" models were also 1.08" thick even when claimed to be 1" thick.

So, given this update there doesn't seem to be alot of difference between the MB and MBP except design (size, LED screen) and GPU? I mean, assuming I get the RAM upgrade....

Grrr, what to buy for a soon-to-be grad student? (who meddles in webpage building/photoshop, and wants to keep this computer forever and ever)....any suggestions to tip one way or another?

if money is not an issue, get the MacBook Pro for sure, just an amazing experience which is a bit nicer than the MacBook; however, if you are on a budget (as i currently am) the MacBook is great, i am a proud MacBook owner. It's a great computer.

Grrr, what to buy for a soon-to-be grad student? (who meddles in webpage building/photoshop, and wants to keep this computer forever and ever)....any suggestions to tip one way or another?

Well, I think it really comes down to one thing. How much do you care about this grad student?

I think the screen size is the big item. Will they want a bigger screen, or a smaller book for hauling around? Are they going to be embarrassed by a white or black notebook? Or is the sturdier casing (who cares if you scratch plastic, but scratch the MBP? OhNo!) a bigger deal.

Too bad Apple doesn't have a 15" in a MacBook case, or a 12" MBP. But, hey, I guess we should be happy they have black now.

OK, the new MBP's use Santa Rosa and have the 800MHz front side bus. Apple only claims to support 667MHz memory, however. Crucial sells 800MHZ DDR2-SODIMMs (e.g., $529 for 2 2GB SODIMMs). Anyone know if they'll work?

Well, I think it really comes down to one thing. How much do you care about this grad student?

I think the screen size is the big item. Will they want a bigger screen, or a smaller book for hauling around? Are they going to be embarrassed by a white or black notebook? Or is the sturdier casing (who cares if you scratch plastic, but scratch the MBP? OhNo!) a bigger deal.

Too bad Apple doesn't have a 15" in a MacBook case, or a 12" MBP. But, hey, I guess we should be happy they have black now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sthiede

if money is not an issue, get the MacBook Pro for sure, just an amazing experience which is a bit nicer than the MacBook; however, if you are on a budget (as i currently am) the MacBook is great, i am a proud MacBook owner. It's a great computer.

I am the grad student. I would prefer the larger screen, but I'm on a budget. I mean, I COULD pay for it (2250 after student discount and applecare....2400 when I get the 8gb nano and iwork) but i'm really interested in longevity. I want something that will still zip in 4-6 years, play my $h!tloads of music, let me edit my cute little webpage (http://www.users.muohio.edu/lingembr/index1.html) and do photoshop for that purpose. Along with writing lots of papers....general ilife stuff too.

I am the grad student. I would prefer the larger screen, but I'm on a budget. I mean, I COULD pay for it (2250 after student discount and applecare....2400 when I get the 8gb nano and iwork) but i'm really interested in longevity. I want something that will still zip in 4-6 years, play my $h!tloads of music, let me edit my cute little webpage (http://www.users.muohio.edu/lingembr/index1.html) and do photoshop for that purpose. Along with writing lots of papers....general ilife stuff too.

well i think the macbook would be just fine... but if you can, go for the macbook pro, just because the screen size is bigger, but the computer isnt really that much bigger...its hard to explain. but the macbook has enough power and stuff for what you want to do so it really depends on money

Apple on Tuesday updated its MacBook Pro line of notebooks with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors, memory up to 4GB, LED backlit displays, and high-speed graphics in a lightweight, aluminum enclosure that is just one-inch thin.

Ummm... 1 inchin thin is nothing. Where is the lightweight part? Let's see some stats on this, because Windows laptop makers are schooling Apple on weight.

BTW - this looks just like an Apple press release - not a real analytical look at the new offerings. Cut and paste is not cool, dudes.

I am the grad student. I would prefer the larger screen, but I'm on a budget. I mean, I COULD pay for it (2250 after student discount and applecare....2400 when I get the 8gb nano and iwork) but i'm really interested in longevity. I want something that will still zip in 4-6 years, play my $h!tloads of music, let me edit my cute little webpage (http://www.users.muohio.edu/lingembr/index1.html) and do photoshop for that purpose. Along with writing lots of papers....general ilife stuff too.

DEFINITELY go with the MBP; on sturdiness alone it will hold up. I'm just not sure that the 4-6 years in our day and age will keep you going with the external hardware and software world as it changes daily. I do not know about that element, but all my PowerBooks/MacBooks are alive and kicking, and I go ALL the way back. I just don't use the G3 iBook (Japanese model) or the G4 Pismo any more. Once in a while I get out my Sony-build PowerBook 100 just to amaze my skeptical friends...

"Run faster. History is a constant race between invention and catastrophe. Education helps but it is never enough. You must also run." Leto Atreides II